Militia Face Warriors in 2nd Round…
- Updated: October 11, 2013
Let's get to the thrilling action of game day on SATURDAY, October 12th.
NEFL 2nd Round Playoffs – SOUTH DIVISION –VS- WEST DIVISION!!!!
#1 Seed Western CT Militia(9-1) -vs- #4 Seed Western MA Warriors (7-4)
Saturday 7 p.m at Militia Valley Stadium at Danbury High School – Danbury, CT
Western CT welcomes NEFL West Division rival Western Mass Warriors in a crossover matchup that on paper looks like it could be anyone's game. The &ldquot;Bad Boys Brigade&rdquot; were off last week as the #1 seed, while the #4 Warriors squeaked by the #5 seed Tri-State Bulldogs with a 7-0 score. The Militia need to come into this game with a no-holds barred attitude if they are going to pull out the win and move on to the next round.
In the last meeting between these two teams in Week 6, the Militia were able to beat the Warriors 21-7 in their only game of the 2013 season.
The Western MA Warriors are the reigning 2012 NEFL Champions and 2012 National Champs after compiling a perfect 17-0 record – BUT this year's 2013 team has truly struggled to find it's identity, but is still known for its stout defense.
Here"s a preview of this week's Game.
What to expect with Western CT:
Militia QB Kevin Oberg and WRs Jason Davis and Will Andrew lead a Militia team that moves the ball easily through the air. But the biggest weapon the boys in cardinal and black have on offense is the huge offensive line led by All-League Guard Mike Swartz. Across the board they average 6-3 and 300 pounds and have done an astounding job keeping Oberg relatively untouched all season. The Militia offense scored two touchdowns in a span of four minutes on their way to a 31-6 drubbing of the NJ Spartans in the last game of the 2013 regular season.
Defensively, there is the much anticipated return of DE Chansler Davis, who missed the last meeting of these two teams. This should help an opportunistic defensive line get even better in the shutdown department. In limited action in only 4 games this season Davis came up with 10 sacks and 19 tackles for losses. The defense also gets the much needed services of 300 pound space-eating DT Freeman Hardison back, after missing the Warriors game due to a previous commitment.
What to expect with WESTERN MA:
Warriors Head Coach Junior Williams will certainly have his team ready to play after last week's playoff win.
Even with key player losses from last season"s squad, they have talent and depth to compete with all the elite teams in the very competitive AAA conference.
Look for Williams to try and put alot more pressure on the Militia defense with a jumbo running package led by bulldozer RB Bobbie Grimes, who ran over the Bulldogs defense last week for nearly 100 yards. This wide-load workhorse frees up lanky QB Chris Borders to stand in the pocket and get to ball to a speedy receiver like #6 Chris Marcharie.
Do the Warriors hand the Militia a loss in Danbury solely on the shoulders of their offensive weapons?
No. Let's look at the other side.
Defensively, Western Mass gets after the ball. And even though they lost a couple of key components of that 2012 squad, they return most of their key veterans. DL Jack Casey is a disruptive force on the front. And LB Vitaly Dzhenzherukha leads a talented and opportunistic backfield corps. This entire unit has something to prove after giving up substantial ground yardage to the Bulldogs last week. And they can certainly prove it by shutting one of the leagues best running backs in the Militia"s Lionel Assie.
Do the reigning New England Football League Champion Warriors have the offensive firepower to overwhelm the Militia defense?
Do the Militia offensively have to ability to excite themselves and finally win convincingly against one of the better defensive teams in the NEFL?
One thing we will know: Only one team will stand victorious at the middle of the field when the final whistle blows!
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